


The Red Glint

by NightAshes



Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Discovering Powers, Gen, Mud Fight, Superpowers, forest adventure, playful bickering
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:01:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,012
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28433577
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightAshes/pseuds/NightAshes
Summary: An attempt to find Mothman leads to the trio (Roman, Remus, and Virgil) discovering something much much cooler.
Comments: 3
Kudos: 18
Collections: Sanders Sides 2020 Gift Exchange





	The Red Glint

His boot sinks into the mud as he steps over the slick corpse of a fallen tree. Remus cackles behind him as he shoves Roman over the obstacle, causing his brother to fall face first onto the ground. The shriek the prep emits is enough to shatter glass. Virgil hisses at his friends as he clutches his ears in pain. 

“REMUS! Look what you’ve done to my shirt, you vandal! I just bought this.” The prep stands, throwing a handful of mud at his brother, who joyfully accepts the slinged debris as if it were a gift from the gods. 

“Don’t worry, Roman, the mud has really improved your looks.” Remus licks a drop of mud off his hand. 

Virgil smirks at the brothers’ bickering. He should have known it would come to this. “Ummm hey, guys.” He tries to catch their attention.

“Ugh. That is disgusting.” Roman watches his brother hum in delight at the taste. “You’re paying for my dry cleaning, heathen.”

“And what makes you think I’d do that?” Remus counters.

Roman takes a deep breath, preparing what Virgil assumes will be a rant worthy of Logan. The emo simply rolls his eyes in exasperated amusement. “Alright enough of this.” He grabs Remus by the collar and propels him over the log. The punk lands heavily in the mud in a fashion similar to Roman. 

“There now you are even.” Virgil wipes his hands free of the mess. 

The twins stare at Virgil owlishly in surprise.

Then at each other.

A wicked grin spreads across both their faces.

They turn their gaze back upon Virgil.

Virgil gulps. He knows to fear the moments when the twins share a thought. 

They lung for the emo. His screams reverberate through the trees, sending a flock of crows flying into the air. Their dark calls echo through the forest. The devious laughter of the twin terrors intertwine with the bird call as they seize upon their friend and drag him down into the mud. Colliding into a pile of earth and laughter, they squirm under each others’ grasps. Virgil, lamenting the fate of his jacket, his beautiful black jacket, seizes upon handfuls of the gooey mess and slathers it into both of his friends’ hair. Roman pretends to faint in horror at the fate of his luscious locks. Remus latches onto the two, entrapping his twin and friend in his clinging grip. He rolls around, covering the trio in as much mud as possible. Shouts. Laughter. Virgil fighting against his jailer. Roman ranting. And Remus smushed between them with the biggest, toothiest grin imaginable.

Exhausted, they collapse against each other. Lying upon the forest floor, panting for breath. Soft giggles being shared between them.

Virgil watches the tops of the trees sway in the breeze. The clouds can be seen between the branches as they slowly move past. Roman hums in thought.

“Can we get up now?” Roman prompts.

Virgil nods in agreement. Squirming free of the tentacle-like grip of his friend, he extricates himself from the pile. Roman follows close behind him. The dramatic twin stares down at his ruined clothing and for once, he seems okay with it. Not particularly happy, but still okay. 

The chaotic gremlin stares up at them from the ground. “Vee Vee, how much further until we get to see Mothman?”

Virgil rolls his eyes. He is often rolling his eyes in the company of the twins, “First off, we don’t actually know if Mothman is out here. CrypticHunter66 only said that they saw two glowing red eyes. Could be Mothman. Could also be a million other things. Secondly, give me a moment.”

He pulls a map out of his back pocket. Turning it this way and that, Virgil studies the forest landmarks and the trail they have been following, “I think we are close. The bridge should be right up ahead.”

The bridge is no longer a bridge. It was once. Years ago it had allowed hikers and hunters of all types to cross over the frothing river. But age is a curse and the bridge has long been lacking in care. It has rotted and collapsed in on itself. Moss has grown upon it, disguising it’s true shape. It can no longer be called a bridge, just as the river can no longer be called a river. Both victims of the changing tides of time and now the bridge is but a pile of moss covered wood and the river is but a crevice of earth.

Roman jumps down into the ditch that was once a river, “Where is this monster? It’s time to do some slaying.”

“Not in that outfit.” Remus answers. 

Virgil is barely listening to the bickering brothers. He focuses on rereading the message sent to him by his online source. 

“Two glowing red eyes,” He mumbles to himself. “beneath the fallen bridge.”

Virgil scooches down into the dried-up river, trying his best not to fall.

Remus jumps. Yelling, “Roman, catch me!”

Roman does not catch him.

The bridge does not really seem like it would have enough space for a creature to hide beneath. Not unless Mothman was the size of a small animal. Virgil does not think that Mothman is the size of a small animal. Still, he turns on his phone’s flashlight and attempts to see into the depths of the rotted wood pile. 

A red glint shines back.

_Oh crap. Mothman is a small mammal._

Virgil reaches his hand out towards the red glow. He stops himself. Pausing to think. Should he do this? Reaching out to a potential cryptid seems like a bad idea-

“Hey, emo-”

“AHHHHHH!” Virgil nearly jumps out of his skin. Slapping Remus, he continues to yell, “You scared the living crap out of me!”

“Oh sorry, anyways! Where’s Mothman?”

Roman pokes his head over Remus’s shoulder. “You found Mothman! I wanna see.” He attempts to shove past his brother.

“Guys, would you shut up! I actually did see something and if you two would be quiet for just one second in your lives so you don’t scare him away that would be great!”

“Ummm, but Virgil you are also screaming?” Roman counters.

“Shhhhh.” Virgil hisses. “Shut it and come here.”

Together, they turn back to the bridge. Virgil shines his light. The red glint twinkles. “Oh good, he’s still here.”

“Oh god, we’re about to meet Mothman.” Remus whispers excitedly. 

They creep closer, leaning in as far as they dare. 

“Do you see him?” Roman whispers.

“Not really. Just his eyes.” Virgil responds.

“I see them too. Can I grab him?” Remus bounces.

“With your bare hands?” Virgil questions as if he hadn’t been about to do the same thing.

“Then what do we do?” Roman ponders.

“I’m gonna grab him.” Remus reaches forward.

Virgil and Roman both shout no, rushing to stop their chaotic friend. But it is too late. Remus’s hand closes around the red glowing object. And then. The world explodes.

Red. 

Everything is red.

And bright. 

So very bright.

There are stars.

And trees. 

Virgil groans. His clothes are stiff. Why are his clothes so stiff?

“What happened?” A voice speaks beside him. It sounds like Roman.

That’s right he was with the twins. “Remus?” Virgil calls out, rolling onto his side, the leaves crinkle beneath him. 

“I’ve got Mothman.” The chaotic twin mumbles, waving his closed fist around in circles in the dark. Remus stares at his fist. “He’s rocks.”

Virgil squints into the night. When had it gotten so dark? He needs a light. His phone, where was his phone? His hands feel across the forest ground. The dried mud on his clothes cracking at his movements. 

“Has anyone seen my phone?”

“I’ve got mine.” Roman answers as a light illuminates their small group. 

Virgil uses it to search by as Roman helps Remus to stand, he seems more disoriented than them. He can hear them talking about whatever rock Remus has as he spies a shine of glass. His phone! It’s partially buried beneath some leaves but all in all it seems unharmed. He scoops it up just as he hears Roman shout. “We’re gonna be rich!”

“What’s going on?” Virgil rejoins the twins.

They’re bent over, looking at whatever Remus is holding in his hands. Roman waves him closer. “Virgil, don’t they look like rubies? I think they’re rubies!”

Sure enough in Remus’s hands sat three glistening red gems. Rubies? Maybe. Virgil didn’t exactly know much about geology. Either way, it sure wasn’t Mothman.

“Rubies. Not glowing red eyes.” Virgil mumbles as he reaches forward. Before his fingers can touch a gem, it flies out of Remus’s hand and smacks itself into his palm. Virgil grips the stone as he stares down at it in shock.

“Whoa.” Remus encapsulates all their thoughts into that one word… whoa.

“How is this possible?” Virgil questions aloud.

“Virgil, your eyes! They’re glowing red!” Roman exclaims. “The rocks, they must be magic!”

“That’s insane!” Virgil holds his hand up to his eyes. Sure enough a red glow illuminates his palm. His eyes are glowing!

Roman holds his own hand out, as if testing something. Without even a second to think, another one of the stones zooms into his hand! His own eyes begin to light up in the darkness. “This is so cool!” He bounces in excitement. His feet leaving the ground. Leaving the ground and not returning.

“Whoa. Whoa!” He tilts around in midair. Windmilling his arms as he floats above the ground.

“You can fly! I wanna fly.” Remus whines. Looking down at the last stone remaining in his hand, he squeezes his fist tight around it. Gritting his teeth, he bends his knees and jumps. Launching himself into the air. His figure is propelled upwards. Zooming into the treetops and beyond as he is lost in shadows. He becomes nothing but a silhouette against the stars. His boisterous laughter is carried down to them. Calling out, urging them to join him in his flight.

Roman reaches out his hand to Virgil excitedly, “Come on. We’ve got to try this!”

Virgil gulps, “I don’t know. Heights aren’t really my favorite.” He answers, staring up at the twin soaring through the air.

Roman pauses at the apprehension. He calms himself and speaks simply. “If you don’t want to that’s okay. We can stay down here. But if you do want to give it a try, know that I’ve got you. I won’t let you fall.”

Remus flies past their heads. “Guys, I can see everything from up here! Wahoooooo!!!”

The emo tentatively places his hand into his friend’s. Roman gives him a slight squeeze as Virgil quirks a smile. “Ready?” Roman whispers.

Virgil nods his head. “I guess I just jump?”

“That seems to be the general idea.”

Virgil takes in a deep breath. And then he jumps. Rising into the air, he feels the gravity of the earth abandon his body as he lifts himself up higher and higher. Roman is holding his hand tightly, just as he said he would, rising beside him. They tug each other this way and that. Drifting between the tree branches, they weave their way up and above. Breaking out of the forest, they fly through the open air. Watching the trees pass below them. 

A cheer rises in his chest and breaks out of him as he holds his free hand up, stretching it out as if to touch the stars. It’s beautiful up here. Roman laughs beside him, pointing out his favorite constellations. Behind them a roar grows louder. Remus rushes past them, pushing himself to fly faster and faster. He loops through the sky and twists through the clouds. Diving and ducking in an aerial display of chaos and grace.

“We’re superheroes!” Roman cheers, smiling widely at his friend beside him. Their small duo is illuminated in a soft red glow shining from their eyes. They’re a rosy comet drifting across the sky. Not a falling star, but rising in laughter and joy.

“We’re superheroes.” Virgil echoes.

**Author's Note:**

> A gift for @anxiouslyfred on tumblr!


End file.
